Another remarkable preservation of a lifeboat in France at Penmarc'h, Bretagne:
THE OLD LIFEBOAT PAPA POYDENOT
The Papa Poydenot is a teak lifeboat, with sail and oars. Unsinkable, it is self-righting and self-draining. It belongs to the Papa Poydenot association, whose main goal is to preserve the memory of the crews of sailing and rowing lifeboats. Since 1992, it is classified as a historical monument. The history of sea rescue, its organization in Penmarc'h, the action of the brave Penmarc'hais rescuers and the evolution of lifeboats are also to be discovered.
The Papa Poydenot is located in its shelter at the tip of Penmarc'h in St Pierre, behind the lighthouse of Eckmühl.
3 RESCUE STATIONS AND A FAMILY HISTORY
Three lifeboat stations were created in Penmarc'h: the first in Kérity in 1868, the second in St Guénolé in 1889 and the third in St Pierre in 1901. The Papa Poydenot was the first lifeboat of the St Pierre station. Madame Caroline Poydenot financed the construction of the boat in homage to her husband Jean Bernard Paul Poydenot who died in 1890. He himself financed in 1888, a lifeboat for the station of St Guénolé named Maman Poydenot.
This lifeboat is with sails and oars. It is unsinkable, self-righting and spontaneously self-emptying. Built in 1900, it was presented at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. It was given to the Saint-Pierre station in 1901 when it was created by the SCSN (Société Centrale de Sauvetage des Naufragés).
CREATION OF THE ASSOCIATION PAPA POYDENOT
In 1990, the Papa Poydenot association, whose main goal is to "preserve the memory of the crews of the sailing oar lifeboats", found a boat of the same type in Port Haliguen (Quiberon peninsula). This boat was used by the Glénan nautical center. The association bought the boat and renamed it Papa Poydenot. The renovation began at the Pichavant shipyard in Pont l'Abbé. A cart to transport it was built at the shipyard of St Guénolé.
The boat was launched in the port of St Pierre on May 30, 1992, and participated in July of the same year, in the gathering of old riggings in Brest. It was classified as a historical monument on November 6, 1992.
https://www.penmarch.fr/evenement/lanci ... 020-09-01/Clic to enlarge: